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Predicting PCBs and PBDEs in cedar needles and soils using artificial neural networks based on OCPs and metals data
No full textArtificial neural networks (ANNs) have demonstrated strong predictive capabilities in environmental assessment. However, their application in biomonitoring is still limited. The aim of this study is to develop ANN models to predict the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Cedrus atlantica needles and associated soil samples using organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and metals content data as input variables. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) models, specifically MLP 20-13-13 and MLP 11-13-9, were trained and validated and achieved perfect predictive performance at all stages with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 1.000 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.000. Sensitivity analysis identified δ-HCH, endrin, 4,4′-DDT and methoxychlor as the most influential predictors of PCB and PBDE levels in soil and needles. Of the metals, Fe and Mn were positively associated with PCB and PBDE accumulation in needles, while Cd showed a suppressive effect. In soil, Zn, Pb and Co were found to be key factors influencing the distribution of these pollutants. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of ANNs in modelling complex, non-linear relationships in biomonitoring datasets and highlight the potential of integrating conifer-based biomonitoring with machine learning in environmental assessment. This modelling strategy provides a cost-effective and rapid screening tool for biomonitoring of persistent organic pollutants and reduces the reliance on labour-intensive and expensive direct measurements
Adaptation of flowering phenology and flower longevity of Philadelphus coronarius L. In landscape design under climate change conditions
No full textThe aim of this research is to assess the impact of climate change on the flowering of
Philadelphus coronarius L. in the period from 2007 to 2025, in the south-western peri-urban zone of
Belgrade. The evaluation included an assessment of the onset of flowering, full flowering, and the
end of flowering across 19 phenological patterns, as well as the daily flowering abundance. The
results confirmed a trend towards earlier onset of full flowering, while the start and end of flowering
fluctuated in accordance with changes in climatic parameters. A comparative analysis identified the
optimal daily maximum and minimum temperatures for peak (20.9°C and 11.1°C) and abundant
(21.9°C and 12.0°C) flowering. Regression analysis confirmed that flowering abundance decreases
when daily maximum temperatures exceed the optimal range. In conclusion, flowering of
Ph.coronarius is stable and resilient, highlighting the species as an important ornamental flowering
plant for landscape design and ecosystem services
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA TO LOW PHOSPHORUS AVAILABILITY IN ALKALINE SOIL
No full textPhosphorus availability in soil plays a critical role in plant physiological processes, particularly in the adaptive responses of invasive species. This study investigates the impact of contrasting soil phosphorus concentrations (low: 9 mg/kg and adequate: 27 mg/kg) on the growth and physiological traits of the invasive tree species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, native to northeast and central China. Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) is a highly invasive species in Serbia's forests and is considered as one of the most problematic exotic tree species.
Results revealed that adequate phosphorus availability significantly increased aboveground biomass, with plants grown in phosphorus-rich soil producing 3–4 times more biomass compared to those in phosphorus-deficient soil. The root/shoot ratio was higher under low phosphorus conditions (Table 1), indicating a shift in biomass allocation favoring root growth to enhance nutrient uptake.Lignin content in the aboveground tissues of Ailanthus altissima was significantly higher under low phosphorus (21.30%) compared to adequate phosphorus conditions (17.72%), suggesting increased lignification as an adaptive response to nutrient stress. Similarly, extractive content was higher under phosphorus deficiency (10.29%) compared to adequate phosphorus (6.61%), reflecting enhanced secondary metabolite production under stress conditions.Root exudate analysis showed that malate exudation was the most responsive organic anion to phosphorus availability. Under low phosphorus conditions, malate exudation increased threefold (6.46 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) compared to adequate phosphorus conditions (2.56 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). This indicates that malate plays a key role in phosphorus mobilization and nutrient acquisition in Ailanthus altissima. Leaf phosphorus concentration was significantly higher in plants grown under phosphorus-deficient conditions (10,502.01 μg/g) compared to those grown in phosphorus-adequate soil (4567.43 μg/g). These findings highlight the remarkable adaptability of Ailanthus altissima to low phosphorus availability, which contributes to its competitive advantage and invasiveness in nutrient-poor environments. The study provides insights into the physiological strategies of invasive species, aiding the development of effective management and restoration practices
ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL RISK OF SOIL CONTAMINATION BY HEAVY METALS: THE BELGRADE CASE STUDY
No full textAssessing heavy metal contamination in urban soils is essential for understanding the extent of
anthropogenic pressures and protecting environmental and public health within rapidly developing cities.
This study evaluates the potential risk of soil contamination by heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni)
across four urban development zones of Belgrade (central, suburban, external, and rural). A total of 126
composite soil samples were collected (with 3-7 repetitions), 63 topsoil samples (0–10 cm) and 63 subsoil
samples (10–40 cm), using a stainless-steel soil auger. Contamination potential was assessed based on
the number and percentage of samples exceeding background values (BV), maximum limit values (MLV),
and remediation values (RV), and the results were analyzed in relation to the degree of urbanization.
Heavy metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) following aqua
regia digestion (SRPS-ISO 14870:2005). The obtained values were compared with Serbian regulatory
threshold and remediation values (DLVSP, 2019) and with background levels for Central Serbia, including
a district-specific reference value for Cd (Mrvić et al., 2011; 2019). Soils from the central urban zone
exhibited the highest frequency of exceedances relative to MLV, particularly for Ni (96.15%), followed by
Cu (73.08%), Pb (42.31%), Cd (38.46%), Zn (26.92%), and Cr (1.93%). When assessed against BV,
exceedances followed the pattern Zn (84.62%) > Cu (75%) > Pb (59.62%) > Cr (55.77%) > Ni (50%) > Cd
(34.62%). In suburban zones, the highest MLV exceedances were again recorded for Ni (97.83%), followed
by Cu (47.83%), Cd (43.48%), Zn (30.43%), Pb (19.57%), and Cr (4.35%), while BV exceedances occurred
in the order Zn (78.26%) > Cu (76.92%) > Pb (59.62%) > Cr (55.77%) > Ni (50%) > Cd (34.62%). In the
external zone, Ni exceeded MLV in 75% of samples, with 37.5% also surpassing BV. In the rural zone, Ni
exceeded MLV in 33.33% of samples and BV in 25%, whereas concentrations of other metals remained
below both thresholds. Across all zones, Ni showed the most persistent spatial pattern of elevated
concentrations, likely due to its MLV (35 mg/kg) being lower than its BV (52 mg/kg) for Central Serbian, a
pattern also observed for Cu. Notably, one sample exceeded the RV for Cu (1.92%), while two samples
exceeded the RV for Pb (3.85%). Overall, the findings reveal localized yet significant contamination
pressures, particularly in central and suburban zones, underscoring the need for systematic soil
monitoring, targeted source identification, and zone-specific remediation strategies to reduce long-term
environmental and public health risks. Detailed site investigations with a larger number of samples are
recommended to establish an effective monitoring framework and to implement remediation measures
where necessar
SUSTAINABLE LAND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN VALJEVO THROUGH GEOSPATIAL DATA ANALYSIS
No full textLand is a vital natural resource that supports key productive, regulatory, and ecological functions. As a conditionally renewable resource, land must be managed judiciously, minimizing degradation and preserving long-term functionality. The international framework for sustainable land management rests on the principles of prevention, an integrated approach, and intergenerational equity. Spatial plans align functional development requirements with soil properties and existing land use; the most valuable agricultural areas are protected; forest and water functions are directed to areas with the greatest ecological effect; and urban expansion is guided to soils suitable for such development. Geospatial analyses and publicly verifiable data provide the technical basis for assessing the adequacy of each spatial plan. Using Valjevo Municipality as a case study, this paper analyzes the consistency of the planned land use with the soil baseline and current land use. The methodology includes digitizing the map of planned designations, including polygon creation and area calculations (km² and %), and comparing them with soil types and existing land use. The results indicate that agricultural land retains a dominant share of 61.5% (~556.86 km²), forest areas increase moderately to 32.2% (291.20 km²), and construction (built-up) zones remain limited to 5.4% (48.99 km²). The remaining categories (special-purpose impact zones, mineral resources, and water-related land) amount to around 3%. Compared to the current situation (64% agricultural and 30% forest), there are moderate, functionally justified shifts in favor of the protective and regulatory roles of forests, with very good alignment between the planned designations and the soil types and no systemic inconsistencies. In summary, Valjevo’s planned land-use structure demonstrates strong alignment with established sustainability principles: it safeguards agricultural potential, strengthens the ecosystem functions of forests and water areas, and aligns urban growth with the soil types it occupies. The effectiveness of this approach in practice depends on the consistent implementation of the spatial plan, the preparation of environmental impact assessments for each amendment to the planning documentation, and enhanced inspection and enforcement. Under these preconditions, the planned land-use regime serves as an effective instrument for preventing land degradation and a reliable foundation for the long-term sustainable development of the local community
Konzervacija i monitoring genofonda drvenastih vrsta Strogog rezervata prirode „Felješana”
No full textPublikacija čiji ste čitalac rezultat je istraživanja genofonda drvenastih vrsta na
području Strogog rezervata prirode (StRP) „Felješana”. Istraživanja su realizovana u
okviru projekta „Monitoring i konzervacija genofonda drvenastih vrsta na području StRP
„Felješana”, koji je sufinansiralo Ministarstvo zaštite životne sredine Republike
Srbije, sredstvima iz budžeta, kroz Ugovor o sufinansiranju Programa upravljanja Stro-
gim rezervatom prirode „Felješana” za 2024. i 2025. godinu.
Istraživanja su obuhvatila prikupljanje i analizu dostupnih literaturnih podataka;
rekognosciranje terena; evidentiranje drvenastih vrsta; izbor ciljnih vrsta drveća;
georeferenciranje i kartiranje individua reprezenata populacija ciljnih vrsta drveća
i identifikaciju faktora koji dovode do genetičke erozije, na osnovu čega su defini-
sani ciljevi konzervacije genofonda i akcionog plana za njihovu realizaciju.
Pored opšteg cilja, koji podrazumeva očuvanje i unapređenje stanja populacija cilj-
nih vrsta drveća i kompletnog staništa prašume u kojoj se one javljaju, definisani su
i sledeći specifični ciljevi: identifikacija i monitoring genofonda drvenastih vr-
sta; očuvanje genetičke varijabilnosti ciljnih vrsta drveća primenom in situ i ex situ me-
toda konzervacije i edukacija i podizanje svesti javnosti o potrebi očuvanja genofonda
drvenastih vrsta i prašume kao celine.
Za efikasnu realizaciju definisanih ciljeva izrađen je akcioni plan, koji defi-
niše konkretne mere za njihovu realizaciju, odgovorne subjekte, vremenski okvir i
indikatore uspešnosti koji predstavljaju merljive pokazatelje i omogućavaju praćenje
i procenu stepena ispunjenja postavljenih ciljeva.
Deo planiranih mera za realizaciju prvog posebnog cilja završen je tokom reali-
zovanih istraživanja, a rezultati su prikazani u okviru ove publikacije. U budućnosti
treba sprovoditi redovan monitoring genofonda ciljnih vrsta drveća, koji predstavlja
sistematski i dugoročan proces prikupljanja, analize i tumačenja podataka o elemen-
tima od značaja za konzervaciju genofonda. Za realizaciju drugog specifičnog cilja
predloženo je izdvajanje cele teritorije StRP „Felješana”, kao jedinstvenog konzerva-
cionog područja. Pored ovakvog vida in situ konzervacije, moguće je započeti i praćenje i
sakupljanje uroda na nivou selekcionisanih stabala u cilju ex situ konzervacije genofon-
da ciljnih vrsta drveća. Realizacija trećeg cilja delimično je ostvarena pripremom
i štampanjem ove publikacije i biće nastavljena kroz edukativne aktivnosti u cilju
promocije prirodnih vrednosti ovog jedinstvenog područja.
Za realizaciju postavljenih ciljeva konzervacije genofonda ciljnih vrsta drveća
i očuvanje prašume na teritoriji StRP „Felješana” odgovoran je upravljač – Šumar-
ski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu. Kao naučnoistraživačka institucija, Fakultet
poseduje stručne i organizacione kapacitete za sprovođenje definisanih aktivnosti,
koje podrazumevaju kontinuiranu institucionalnu i finansijsku podršku nadležnog
ministarstva i drugih relevantnih subjekata.
Očuvanje genofonda drvenastih vrsta na prostoru StRP „Felješana” nije samo naučni
zadatak, već i odgovornost prema budućim generacijama i prirodnom nasleđu Srbije
Koncept vrtnog grada: ispitivanje i interpretacija značenja
No full textKoncept vrtnog grada (1898–1902) uglavnom je prepoznatljiv po formalnim prostornim
karakteristikama, a mnogo manje po društvenom i ekonomskom aspektu zamisli Britanca Ebenizera Hauarda (1850–1928). Ovome je doprinela činjenica da su, osim prvog
vrtnog grada na svetu − Lečvorta (Letchworth), od 1903, i još dva naselja osmišljena
u Hauardovom krugu, uglavnom podizana ona koja su tek imenom podsećala na izvorni
princip. Ipak, pored same Hauardove ideje, i njene mnogobrojne interpretacije su
doprinele da uticaj pokreta za vrtne gradove postane upečatljiv, kompleksan i višestruk. Mnogi relevantni autori, na prvi pogled izvan sveobuhvatnog dispozitiva ideje
o izgradnji vrtnih gradova, mnogi arhitekti, pejzažni arhitekti, urbanisti, istoričari
umetnosti, sociolozi, u nekom su se trenutku u svom radu, određivali prema konceptu
vrtnog grada.
Poslednjih decenija, na globalnom planu vidni su, pored svega ostalog, i beda i zagađenost i prezagušenost gradova, slično pošastima koje su pritiskale i industrijske
metropole devetnaestog veka. U tim uslovima, vode se debate i sprovode istraživanja,
ispitujući mogućnosti ostvarenja vizija budućeg grada, očuvanja urbanog nasleđa, primene ekoloških pristupa u oblikovanju celokupnog okruženja. U ovom radu, razmatrajući odlike koncepta vrtnog grada u savremenom kontekstu, reaktualizuje se i preispituje
i njegov kapacitet u uspostavljanju relevantnih uzročno-posledičnih niti značenja u
rešavanju sadašnjih problem
Management of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) Populations in Different Regions of Central Serbia
No full textThe significance of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758) research lies in the fact that it is the
most numerous species among ungulates and is widely distributed across most hunting grounds in Serbia. The
aim of this study is to analyze the management of Roe Deer populations in hunting areas of different regions in
Central Serbia. The research was conducted during the period 2018–2021. In 2021, a total of 86,755 individuals
were recorded in Central Serbia, representing 97.54% of the optimal stock. The highest population density per
square kilometer was observed in the Eastern (2.06) and Belgrade (2.02) regions, while the lowest was recorded
in the Southern (1.02) and Western (1.34) regions. The planned optimal Roe Deer population for the total area of
all districts in Central Serbia was 1.60 individuals per 100 hectares, while the actual recorded density was 1.35
individuals per km². The planned harvest rate was 0.18 per km², while the realized harvest was 0.10 per km²,
amounting to 52.82% of the planned target. In most hunting grounds belonging to districts in southern Serbia,
there was a significant deviation between the planned and actual harvest rates. This population size is certainly
below the habitat’s carrying capacity in the hunting grounds of Central Serbia. In these areas, the reduction of
hunting-productive land or the decrease in habitat quality has consequently limited the number of Roe Deer that
can be sustained. To investigate Roe Deer fertility, a total of 74 samples were collected from multiple locations
over three hunting seasons. Of the analyzed Roe Deer, 23.64% had one embryo, 69.09% had two embryos, and
1.81% had three embryos. Infertility was detected in 5.45% of the examined individuals. The average potential
fertility in this sample was 1.67 embryos per Roe Deer, or 1.75 embryos per pregnant female. Actual recruitment
depended greatly on the hunting ground and its ecological conditions. The lowest real growth rate was recorded
in mountainous hunting areas, at 0.54 fawns per pregnant doe. In hilly hunting areas, the real growth rate was
influenced by biotic factors and ranged from 0.54 to 0.83 fawns per pregnant doe. Only 39% of the potential fertility resulted in actual recruitment. Roe Deer losses in hunting grounds exceeded 20%, depending on recruitment,
although planning documents report losses of up to 10% relative to the base population. The low utilization rate
of roe deer populations in Serbian hunting grounds is primarily due to significant undocumented losses. Unlike
two decades ago, when losses were predominantly caused by anthropogenic factors, particularly poaching,
the primary causes today are traffic incidents and, indirectly, abandoned domestic dogs that are left in hunting
grounds. Effective roe deer population management is hindered by numerous factors, ranging from legal and
regulatory frameworks to various biotic and abiotic factors that influence the governance of this gamespecies
Analysis of the Heat Transfer at Final Cooling Process of Sweet Biscuits
No full textThe conceptual solution for the final cooling of the chocolate dressing of biscuit in one confectionary factory in Serbia was presented in this paper. The proposed concept solution was derived from the desired technological process of final cooling of biscuit and the required process parameters that were to be achieved, and which were an integral part of the project task. The desired process parameters for achieving proper hardening and coating formation are: the exchanged amount of heat in the time unit between the two media (air and chocolate dressing), speed of air inside the tunnel cooler and the surface of all biscuits in contact with the air. These parameters were calculated in the paper. The final cooling of chocolate dressing on biscuits could be optimized by changing process parameters and dimensions of the tunnel cooler, and looking for the appropriate values for them. The accurate temperature predictions and fluid flow analysis could be conducted by using heat balance and flow balance equations having in mind theory of similarity. Furthermore, some parameters were adopted from previous technology process, such as: inlet temperature of biscuits and input air temperature. A thermal calculation was carried out and it was demonstrated that the percentage error between the contact surface of the air and the chocolate biscuit topping, which is obtained from the heat balance and geometrically through the proposed conceptual solution, does not exceed 0.67%, which is very good agreement. This enabled quality of the cooling process of chocolate dressing applied on biscuit and hardness of its coating
Socio-economic impacts of soil reclamation in post-mining regions
No full textThis paper aims to examine the socio-economic impacts of soil reclamation in post-mining regions, with a focus on the critical role of soil degradation due to mining activities. Soil degradation is a global issue that is especially severe in mining regions. Removing the topsoil for raw mineral extraction in open-pit mines causes the loss of fertile soil, disruption of ecosystems,
and increased sensitivity to erosion and contamination. In today’s economy,
mining remains a critical industry, but soil reclamation in post-mining regions must be our new priority. Soil reclamation is a process of restoring disturbed land to its original or some other use. Successfully executed soil reclamation brings a variety of socioeconomic benefits to local communities.
Restored land brings back the population that was once moved for mine
opening, along with new job opportunities, whether in agriculture, construction, or environmental rehabilitation. Healthy soil has an increased capacity
for carbon sequestration, which helps with climate change mitigation. Stabilized soil and reintroduced vegetation prevent erosion and help mitigate natural disasters such as floods or landslides. In this paper, several case studies
were analyzed in order to present the importance of soil reclamation for the
recovery of devastated regions and its socioeconomic benefits